The present invention relates generally to database searching. More particularly, the present invention relates to melody searching.
Next generation databases should include image, audio, and video data in addition to traditional text and numerical data. These data types will require query methods that are more appropriate and natural to the type of respective data. For instance, a natural way to query an image database is to retrieve images based on operations on images or sketches supplied as input. Similarly, a natural way of querying an audio database (of songs) is to hum the tune of a song, as apparently addressed in T. Kageyama and Y. Takashima, "A Melody Retrieval Method With Hummed Melody" (language: Japanese), Transactions of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers D-II, J77D-II(8): 1543-1551, August 1994. Such a system would be useful in any multimedia database containing musical data by providing an alternative and natural way of querying. One can also imagine a widespread use of such a system in commercial music industry, music radio and TV stations, music stores, and even for one's personal use.
It has been observed that melodic contour, defined as the sequence of relative differences in pitch between successive notes, can be used to discriminate between melodies. See Stephen Handel, Listening: An Introduction to the Perception of Auditory Events, The MIT Press, 1989, which indicates that melodic contour is one of the most important methods that listeners use to determine similarities between melodies. In Michael Jerome Hawley, Structure out of Sound, PhD thesis, MIT, September 1993, a method of querying a collection of melodic themes by searching for exact matches of sequences of relative pitches input by a MIDI keyboard is briefly discussed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,572 discloses utilizing pitch differences between successive notes in classifying motion for a melody analyzer and harmonizer, wherein a search may be incidentally used to find an appropriate chord progression to, for example, harmonize music so as to accompany a singer. Other art which may be of interest includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,081; 5,146,833; 5,140,886; 4,688,464, and 5,418,322.